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Communicators

Axios Communicators

The communication team at American Airlines had to activate a crisis plan it hoped it would never have to use after last week's midair collision of a passenger jet and Army helicopter that claimed 67 lives.

Why it matters: Responding to a tragedy of this magnitude requires clarity, discipline and speed.

The American Airlines comms team had a communications plan ready, followed it and managed to avoid major political distractions. 

Catch up quick: The passenger flight from Wichita, Kansas, was on approach to Reagan National Airport outside Washington, D.C., when it collided with the helicopter about 9pm ET on Jan. 29. Both plunged into the Potomac River in the deadliest aviation disaster in the U.S. since November 2001.

Within an hour of the crash, the airline released written communication that focused on what they knew and provided a helpline and directions for those who believed they had family members onboard.

The airline also established its newsroom page as the key source for updates related to the crash and activated its CARE Team, a group of specialists who are trained to offer support for those affected.

Context: By 11pm the night of the crash, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom released a video statement offering deep sympathies and saying the company's priority moving forward was the investigation and those impacted by the crash.

From there, Isom acknowledged there were still unanswered questions but shared what information he could.

The following morning, Isom appeared alongside local officials and first responders for a press conference, and he released another video that afternoon, wearing the same outfit he was wearing in his response just hours after the crash.

Since then, the airline has been cooperating with the investigation, letting the National Transportation Safety Board take the lead while prioritizing internal communications and support for the affected families and all crew members.

American Airlines declined to be interviewed for this story.

Between the lines: American Airlines did not respond to the political narrative being pushed by President Trump and others on his team, who suggested the Biden administration's diversity, equity and inclusion hiring practices were to blame for the crash.

Of note, Trump's strategy of pointing to DEI and the Biden administration did not resonate with Americans, according to Morning Consult data shared with Axios.

Only 24% of U.S. adults said DEI was responsible for the crash and 22% said the Biden administration was to blame. More U.S. adults (26%) said the Trump administration was responsible.

What they're saying: While your first communication is never going to be your last in a crisis of this scale, it does set the tone — and the tone American Airlines established was transparent and empathetic, says Carreen Winters, president of corporate strategy and reputation at MikeWorldWide.

"Airlines are the godfathers of modern crisis communications in the way that they've established their protocols and the rigor that they have around continually thinking about new scenarios, practicing and testing their response team," Winters said.

"Everybody's a crisis communicator and is trained and has that muscle. This is not a muscle that needs to be used often, but it is one that needs to be used with excellence and with speed."

Zoom out: News communications have drastically changed in the more than two decades since a U.S. airline experienced a crash of this magnitude.

Now, speed is of the essence and the standard of issuing a response in the first hour has been replaced by the need to respond within the first minutes.

Plus, owned channels have become a more powerful tool for distilling information in the midst of a crisis. 

" It used to be that you had to find a broadcast outlet and put your CEO on the hot seat in order to get any kind of video out into the market," Winters said. "The fact that they can be their own news channel, if you will, and utilize video as well as they have, is one really big communication strategy that's evolved." 

A line chart showing the share of people who say they have heard mostly negative things in the previous two weeks about American, United, Delta or Southwest airlines from January 13 to February 3. American Airlines has seen a jump from 12% to 24% due to the midair collision on January 30th. United is at 15%, Delta at 9% and Southwest at 7%.

Share who say they've heard mostly negative things about select airlines in previous two weeks

Data: Morning Consult; Chart: Jacque Schrag/Axios

Before the crash, only 8% of U.S. adults reported seeing, reading or hearing something negative about American Airlines, according to Morning Consult's daily brand tracking.

Since the collision, 25% say they have heard negative buzz. However, American Airlines' reputation metrics around brand favorability, trust and purchasing consideration have not moved.

Yes, but: The stable reputation metrics could signal the airline's response has been appropriate and well-received by key stakeholders and the general population. 

Zoom out: While most Americans who heard about the collision knew it was an American Airlines carrier that was involved, 8% thought it was United Airlines and 5% thought it was Delta Air Lines.

Some of that confusion translated to negative buzz, per Morning Consult.

The big picture: 66% of U.S. adults are concerned about flying in the future, with one-third of those saying they are "very concerned."

Plus, recent operational failures — like the door blowout on a Boeing plane, Crowdstrike's outage that led to more than 5,000 Delta flight cancellations and the 2022 Southwest Airlines outage — have not helped the aviation industry instill trust.

What's next: Calming nerves after this tragedy will be a task for all U.S.-based airlines.

More on Axios: What to know about the victims of the D.C. plane crash

What to know about the victims of the D.C. plane crash

How American Airlines communicated through tragedy

Responding to a tragedy of this magnitude requires clarity, discipline and speed.

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES - JANUARY 30: American Airlines CEO Robert Isom speaks at a press conference with other officials to give updates following a collision between an American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter in Washington, DC on January 30, 2025. (Photo by Nathan Posner/Anadolu via G

American Airlines CEO Robert Isom speaks at a press conference on Jan. 30, the day after an American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter collided in Washington, D.C. Photo: Nathan Posner/Anadolu via Getty Images

A line chart showing the share of people who say they have heard mostly negative things in the previous two weeks about American, United, Delta or Southwest airlines from January 13 to February 3. American Airlines has seen a jump from 12% to 24% due to the midair collision on January 30th. United i

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How American Airlines communicated through tragedy

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